Please join me in warmly welcoming the new members who joined our Association during the month of September, 2008. As you can see below, our Student Chapter at FIU has been quite active in its recruiting efforts. Keep up the good work!
Greg Bohan, FIU/Pinnacle Advisory Group; Kelly Degebo, Sarasota CVB
Danielle Doherty, FIU; Loren Forcier, Greater Ft. Lauderdale CVB
Stuart Gardner, USA Hosts Florida; Alicia Green, FIU
Michele Grimm, FIU; Dalia Hofman, The Setai
Jeannie Iruela,FIU; Serena Joaquim, FIU
Suzanne Kaufman, Greater Ft. Lauderdale CVB; Tiffany Kennedy, FIU
Sabrina Matthew, FIU; Arthur Mindermann, FIU
Vanessa Mindermann, FIU; Jeanette Parapar, FIU
Hannika Rodriguez,Creative Mindworks; Jennifer Shellings, FIU
Andrea Tseng, The Setai; Andrea Voss, Greater Ft. Lauderdale CVB
Heather Wheeler, FIU;
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Customer Service – A Great Story to Share With Your Staff
A close friend now at a top-tier California hotel sent this to me. My apologies to the original sources, whoever they may be, and for the length, but it’s too relevant a story not to pass along and it bears repeating.
The story is called “Ducks Quack, Eagles Soar” and it goes like this:
“Harvey was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a cab pulled up, the first thing Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door.
He handed me a laminated card and said: 'I'm Wally, your driver. While I'm loading your bags in the trunk I'd like you to read my mission statement.' Taken aback, Harvey read the card. It said: Wally's Mission Statement: To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment. This blew Harvey away. Especially when he noticed that the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean!
As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, 'Would you like a cup of coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf.' I said jokingly, 'No, I'd prefer a soft drink.' Wally smiled and said, 'No problem. I have a cooler up front with regular and Diet Coke, water and orange juice.' Almost stuttering, Harvey said, 'I'll take a Diet Coke.' Handing him his drink, Wally said, 'If you'd like something to read, I have The Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today.'
As they were pulling away, Wally handed me another laminated card. 'These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you'd like to listen to the radio.' And as if that weren't enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him. Then he advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that time of day. He also let him know that he'd be happy to chat and tell him about some of the sights or, if
Harvey preferred to leave him with his own thoughts.
'Tell me, Wally,' Harvey asked the driver, 'have you always served customers like this?' Wally smiled into the rear view mirror. 'No, not always. In fact, it's only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard the personal growth guru, Wayne Dyer, on the radio one day. He had just written a book called You'll See It When You Believe It. Dyer said that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you'll rarely disappoint yourself. He said, 'Stop complaining!
Differentiate yourself from your competition. Don't be a duck. Be an eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd.''
'That hit me right between the eyes,' said Wally. 'Dyer was really talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other cabs and their drivers. The cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more.'
'I take it that has paid off for you,' Harvey said. 'It sure has,' Wally replied. 'My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year I'll probably quadruple it. You were lucky to get me today. I don't sit at cabstands anymore. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine. If I can't pick them up myself, I get a reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action.'
Wally was phenomenal. He was running a limo service out of a Yellow Cab. I've probably told that story to more than fifty cab drivers over the years, and only two took the idea and ran with it. Whenever I go to their cities, I give them a call. The rest of the drivers quacked like ducks and told me all the reasons they couldn't do any of what I was suggesting.
Wally the Cab Driver made a different choice. He decided to stop quacking like a duck and start soaring like an eagle.”
And that’s the story. No one can make you serve customers well -- because great service is a choice. How about you, South Florida?
The story is called “Ducks Quack, Eagles Soar” and it goes like this:
“Harvey was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a cab pulled up, the first thing Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door.
He handed me a laminated card and said: 'I'm Wally, your driver. While I'm loading your bags in the trunk I'd like you to read my mission statement.' Taken aback, Harvey read the card. It said: Wally's Mission Statement: To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment. This blew Harvey away. Especially when he noticed that the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean!
As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, 'Would you like a cup of coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf.' I said jokingly, 'No, I'd prefer a soft drink.' Wally smiled and said, 'No problem. I have a cooler up front with regular and Diet Coke, water and orange juice.' Almost stuttering, Harvey said, 'I'll take a Diet Coke.' Handing him his drink, Wally said, 'If you'd like something to read, I have The Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today.'
As they were pulling away, Wally handed me another laminated card. 'These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you'd like to listen to the radio.' And as if that weren't enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him. Then he advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that time of day. He also let him know that he'd be happy to chat and tell him about some of the sights or, if
Harvey preferred to leave him with his own thoughts.
'Tell me, Wally,' Harvey asked the driver, 'have you always served customers like this?' Wally smiled into the rear view mirror. 'No, not always. In fact, it's only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard the personal growth guru, Wayne Dyer, on the radio one day. He had just written a book called You'll See It When You Believe It. Dyer said that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you'll rarely disappoint yourself. He said, 'Stop complaining!
Differentiate yourself from your competition. Don't be a duck. Be an eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd.''
'That hit me right between the eyes,' said Wally. 'Dyer was really talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other cabs and their drivers. The cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more.'
'I take it that has paid off for you,' Harvey said. 'It sure has,' Wally replied. 'My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year I'll probably quadruple it. You were lucky to get me today. I don't sit at cabstands anymore. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine. If I can't pick them up myself, I get a reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action.'
Wally was phenomenal. He was running a limo service out of a Yellow Cab. I've probably told that story to more than fifty cab drivers over the years, and only two took the idea and ran with it. Whenever I go to their cities, I give them a call. The rest of the drivers quacked like ducks and told me all the reasons they couldn't do any of what I was suggesting.
Wally the Cab Driver made a different choice. He decided to stop quacking like a duck and start soaring like an eagle.”
And that’s the story. No one can make you serve customers well -- because great service is a choice. How about you, South Florida?
Friday, October 3, 2008
“TABLE OF EIGHT” – SEPTEMBER 2008 HSMAI MEETING
Once, again, our column name, assigned to tell you about our last meeting on September 17th, is a bit of a misnomer as it was a completely different set up for our joint meeting with MPI. Held at the Broward Convention Center, we had more than a hundred people attend in the late afternoon. Starting with coffee and sodas, an enthusiastic crowd from three counties came early for registration and networking. Michael Cohen and staff from Imperial Majesty manned a table top display with sponsorship monies going to aid our community event in November for the children of the Broward Outreach Center.
Stacie Faulds, President-Elect, HSMAI welcomed the group, talked about our Chapter’s mission, upcoming events, including the Broward Outreach Center’s Wannado City outing in November, and highlighted new members, including the new collegiate chapter at FIU. Special thank you was given to Nicki Grossman and the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau for sponsoring the event and her year-round support of HSMAI. And Stacie welcomed MPI members to the event, acknowledging that together – GFLCVB, MPI and HSMAI – had a common desire to see South Florida shine in the world of meetings and conventions.
The meeting planners’ panel was moderated by Christine Tascione, Director of Convention & Group Sales, at the Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB, and member of HSMAI-South Florida as well as on the Board of the South Florida MPI chapter. Members of the panel included: Steven Pollock, Dahlton Bennington, Paget Kirkland and Mike Garcia. Discussion points included the change in economy and how it affects event planning and dealing with clients; the importance of building relationships and how to make your business stand out from the clutter; the green movement – everything from hosting green meetings to developing green standards to corporate social responsibility. A lively question and answer period held the group captive.
Following the program, we proceeded to enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres and continued networking. Suffice it to say, a good time (and an educational one, too) was had by all.
Hope to see you at our next meeting on Wednesday, October 15th at the Bimini Boatyard Restaurant on SE 17th Street in Fort Lauderdale. Lee Knapp tells us how to be more effective in our marketing efforts: “Closing the Sale Begins at Hello.”
Stacie Faulds, President-Elect, HSMAI welcomed the group, talked about our Chapter’s mission, upcoming events, including the Broward Outreach Center’s Wannado City outing in November, and highlighted new members, including the new collegiate chapter at FIU. Special thank you was given to Nicki Grossman and the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau for sponsoring the event and her year-round support of HSMAI. And Stacie welcomed MPI members to the event, acknowledging that together – GFLCVB, MPI and HSMAI – had a common desire to see South Florida shine in the world of meetings and conventions.
The meeting planners’ panel was moderated by Christine Tascione, Director of Convention & Group Sales, at the Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB, and member of HSMAI-South Florida as well as on the Board of the South Florida MPI chapter. Members of the panel included: Steven Pollock, Dahlton Bennington, Paget Kirkland and Mike Garcia. Discussion points included the change in economy and how it affects event planning and dealing with clients; the importance of building relationships and how to make your business stand out from the clutter; the green movement – everything from hosting green meetings to developing green standards to corporate social responsibility. A lively question and answer period held the group captive.
Following the program, we proceeded to enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres and continued networking. Suffice it to say, a good time (and an educational one, too) was had by all.
Hope to see you at our next meeting on Wednesday, October 15th at the Bimini Boatyard Restaurant on SE 17th Street in Fort Lauderdale. Lee Knapp tells us how to be more effective in our marketing efforts: “Closing the Sale Begins at Hello.”
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Reaching the “Senior” Market Segment
Although print advertising is not as big a focus in today’s discussions as on-line advertising, you should consider the fact that AARP The Magazine is the world’s largest circulation magazine of all internationally published magazines. In fact, it reaches over 23 million people age fifty and older. Just for comparison, the number two publication in audited circulation is the Reader’s Digest and it “only” reaches a bit over 10 million. So much for people not reading anymore…
Another interesting aspect of reaching older Americans is the misconception that they are not online. It seems that a significant number of Americans 62 and older are indeed logging on. About 37.6 percent or about 17 million individuals are spending an average of 44 minutes a day surfing.
In addition to browsing, mature users are serious web users. They are not just emailing their grandchildren and looking at family photographs either. Recent statistics show that 59 percent of them use search engines and that 41% are making travel plans and reservations online.
So next time you’re updating your materials or your advertising, keep this huge market segment in mind. Make sure the print is easy to read, your site is easy to navigate, your photos include older adults, etc. And now that we’re moving in autumn, who better to feature in your promotions than those who can travel whenever – not being tied down to school schedules or job requirements?
What are you doing to reach this market South Florida? Let us hear from you!
Another interesting aspect of reaching older Americans is the misconception that they are not online. It seems that a significant number of Americans 62 and older are indeed logging on. About 37.6 percent or about 17 million individuals are spending an average of 44 minutes a day surfing.
In addition to browsing, mature users are serious web users. They are not just emailing their grandchildren and looking at family photographs either. Recent statistics show that 59 percent of them use search engines and that 41% are making travel plans and reservations online.
So next time you’re updating your materials or your advertising, keep this huge market segment in mind. Make sure the print is easy to read, your site is easy to navigate, your photos include older adults, etc. And now that we’re moving in autumn, who better to feature in your promotions than those who can travel whenever – not being tied down to school schedules or job requirements?
What are you doing to reach this market South Florida? Let us hear from you!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
The New Buzzword is “Nearcation”
In a column that I read recently, the writer indicated how frustrated he was about the expression “staycation” being overused. In fact, he said he was going to scream if he heard the word one more time. You may remember that we wrote an article on staycations back on May 1st (see previous post) as it was just beginning to make its way into common usage. It’s true, now, that you can’t turn on the TV or pick up a paper or see an item on the web without some mention of the staycation being included somewhere.
There’s confusion, however, in the way the staycation has been used. In some cases the word means staying in the same area or state, but to some people it means staying at home and “playing tourist” in your own backyard without overnighting in a hotel. In any case, a new buzzword has come about to better describe what travelers did during their vacation season. That word is the “nearcation”.
According to some statistics and tourism agencies, locals and day-trippers helped save the summer from being as disastrous as it could have been. People still wanted to get out and do something. They didn’t travel as much by air; they drove a few hours by car; and maybe they ate at least one meal as a picnic or in their rooms saving on restaurant costs. If they could possibly do so, they didn’t stay put, but they stayed nearby. They still took a vacation.
Now that we’ve passed Labor Day weekend – where AAA was predicting more people would not be traveling compared to last year – we’ll have a better perspective to assess our summer business. So South Florida, did the nearcation help you out at all? Where did your guests come from this summer? We’d love to hear from you.
There’s confusion, however, in the way the staycation has been used. In some cases the word means staying in the same area or state, but to some people it means staying at home and “playing tourist” in your own backyard without overnighting in a hotel. In any case, a new buzzword has come about to better describe what travelers did during their vacation season. That word is the “nearcation”.
According to some statistics and tourism agencies, locals and day-trippers helped save the summer from being as disastrous as it could have been. People still wanted to get out and do something. They didn’t travel as much by air; they drove a few hours by car; and maybe they ate at least one meal as a picnic or in their rooms saving on restaurant costs. If they could possibly do so, they didn’t stay put, but they stayed nearby. They still took a vacation.
Now that we’ve passed Labor Day weekend – where AAA was predicting more people would not be traveling compared to last year – we’ll have a better perspective to assess our summer business. So South Florida, did the nearcation help you out at all? Where did your guests come from this summer? We’d love to hear from you.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Printed Materials in Hotel Rooms
So far as trends go, it looks like we’re transitioning from almost no information to information overload and back again in having printed materials in hotel rooms. We’re all familiar with those racks of brochures near the check-in or by the elevator, or even in the lobby or breakfast areas, but I’m talking in the hotel room itself.
If you’re like me, you read almost everything. Especially when I travel, I make sure to scope out what’s provided in-room. Most hotels with cable still include the small monthly HBO guides. In addition, we may find everything from Travelhost (or similar) to glossy hard-cover bound city magazines touting local attractions and restaurants. And hotel information may vary from a printed one-page flyer or a slim loose leaf notebook to a gold-embossed tome depending on the brand and level of the property. I’m probably one of the few who actually reads the hotel info from cover to cover.
As more travelers come equipped with their cell phones and laptops, however, there is a newer trend now to eliminate local telephone books (among other things) from hotel rooms. (See previous post of December 3, 2007 re: Gideon Bibles).
I’m sure hoping that this isn’t the case. Now I know it means more time and work for the housekeeping staff – they need to re-supply publications, make sure that the ones there are presentable, etc. – and we’re all looking for ways to save. For me, browsing the local phone book gives me an insight into the community I’m visiting, helps narrow down restaurant recommendations I’ve previously collected, reaffirms the major sites to see, and guides me to areas I might have overlooked. But that’s just me.
So, South Florida – are you still putting a local telephone book in your hotel rooms? If you’re a member of a “chain” what’s their policy? Let us hear from you.
If you’re like me, you read almost everything. Especially when I travel, I make sure to scope out what’s provided in-room. Most hotels with cable still include the small monthly HBO guides. In addition, we may find everything from Travelhost (or similar) to glossy hard-cover bound city magazines touting local attractions and restaurants. And hotel information may vary from a printed one-page flyer or a slim loose leaf notebook to a gold-embossed tome depending on the brand and level of the property. I’m probably one of the few who actually reads the hotel info from cover to cover.
As more travelers come equipped with their cell phones and laptops, however, there is a newer trend now to eliminate local telephone books (among other things) from hotel rooms. (See previous post of December 3, 2007 re: Gideon Bibles).
I’m sure hoping that this isn’t the case. Now I know it means more time and work for the housekeeping staff – they need to re-supply publications, make sure that the ones there are presentable, etc. – and we’re all looking for ways to save. For me, browsing the local phone book gives me an insight into the community I’m visiting, helps narrow down restaurant recommendations I’ve previously collected, reaffirms the major sites to see, and guides me to areas I might have overlooked. But that’s just me.
So, South Florida – are you still putting a local telephone book in your hotel rooms? If you’re a member of a “chain” what’s their policy? Let us hear from you.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Around Town...
Belated congratulations to Christine Greenley (Student Chapter Liaison/BOD member) on her recent engagement…and belated best wishes to Joe McKinney for his birthday celebration. Joe is entering his last year at FIU and has been active in our HSMAI student chapter and volunteering at our monthly meetings. Speaking of the student chapter at FIU, they are gearing up for the new semester and will have their new officers elected by next week.
Speaking of elections – you will soon be getting the notification for our “call for nominations” to our Board of Directors. If you’d like to work for our Chapter, whether on a committee or on the Board, please let Stacie Faulds, our President-Elect know about it.
The Dania Beach Tourism Council has passed along several articles on the state of our South Florida tourism situation. Accordingly, they are saying that our summer tourism is “sluggish”. Several other articles indicate that although occupancy is down, our average room rates are up. As always, the collection of these statistics takes some time and their release comes a bit after the events. So South Florida how are you really doing?
Lion Country Safari in West Palm Beach is offering an employee special to those of us in the hotel and restaurant business. From September 8th through November 23rd there’s a special rate of only $8.99 per person. An employee may bring up to 4 guests in one vehicle for the same low price of $8.99 each. Make sure you bring a business card or valid id to prove you’re in the industry.
Great to hear at our August meeting last week a bit about the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport and the progress to come on the runways, terminals, and other facilities. Over 60 people came to the Tropical Acres resort to eat, network, and learn. Wonderful too was the enthusiastic response to our cell phone collection drive for Women In Distress. We collected 87 phones. Way to go HSMAI!!
See you September 17th at our meeting planners panel at the Broward Convention Center. It starts at 4:30 pm with registration and networking; The program is at 5:30 pm followed by the reception (hors d’oeuvres and drinks) at 6:30 pm. Don’t miss out on this event held along with MPI and hosted by the GFLCVB. There’s limited seating available so get your reservations in early.
Speaking of elections – you will soon be getting the notification for our “call for nominations” to our Board of Directors. If you’d like to work for our Chapter, whether on a committee or on the Board, please let Stacie Faulds, our President-Elect know about it.
The Dania Beach Tourism Council has passed along several articles on the state of our South Florida tourism situation. Accordingly, they are saying that our summer tourism is “sluggish”. Several other articles indicate that although occupancy is down, our average room rates are up. As always, the collection of these statistics takes some time and their release comes a bit after the events. So South Florida how are you really doing?
Lion Country Safari in West Palm Beach is offering an employee special to those of us in the hotel and restaurant business. From September 8th through November 23rd there’s a special rate of only $8.99 per person. An employee may bring up to 4 guests in one vehicle for the same low price of $8.99 each. Make sure you bring a business card or valid id to prove you’re in the industry.
Great to hear at our August meeting last week a bit about the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport and the progress to come on the runways, terminals, and other facilities. Over 60 people came to the Tropical Acres resort to eat, network, and learn. Wonderful too was the enthusiastic response to our cell phone collection drive for Women In Distress. We collected 87 phones. Way to go HSMAI!!
See you September 17th at our meeting planners panel at the Broward Convention Center. It starts at 4:30 pm with registration and networking; The program is at 5:30 pm followed by the reception (hors d’oeuvres and drinks) at 6:30 pm. Don’t miss out on this event held along with MPI and hosted by the GFLCVB. There’s limited seating available so get your reservations in early.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
